Chapter 87: Cadet William
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Cadet William
The man who had introduced himself as William began his explanation slowly.
“We are commoners who served under the territory of Duke Yurei. As you may know, ever since the Grand Council, the Duke has been levying excessive taxes, forcing many to abandon their homes.”
“I’m well aware. Nearly a hundred people like you have already crossed the borders.”
“We, too, came to the Far East in pursuit of a dream.”
“Does that dream include ambushing a merchant’s carriage and murdering everyone inside?”
“I understand that the situation might lead you to such a misunderstanding, Regent.”
One wrong word, and his head would roll. William swallowed hard, injecting as much sincerity into his voice as possible.
“I swear, we had nothing to do with that attack. We only found the carriage because someone told us about it.”
“Someone told you?”
“Yes.”
William began to clarify the events of that day.
“While we were heading toward the Archduchess’s territory, we encountered a group. They looked similar to us, but they were armed. We were wary, thinking they might be bandits out to steal what little we had left, but they weren't. In fact, they showed us kindness.”
“What kind of kindness?”
“They told us they could provide food for the hungry.”
Ferda tilted his head curiously. “You don’t look stupid enough to believe that blindly.”
“Would you believe me if I said we were just that desperate?”
What wouldn't a desperate person do? Ferda decided to accept the answer for now. “Continue.”
“Anyway… the place they led us to was that horrific scene you witnessed, Regent. People were dead, fresh food was scattered on the ground, weapons were left behind, and there were even precious jewels.”
Ferda saw through the intent behind his words and asked directly, “Are you mentioning the jewels to prove your innocence?”
“As I said, we are starving refugees. We were only hungry at the time, and one cannot eat gold. That is why we didn't touch them.”
“For people who claim that, you certainly made off with plenty of things you can't eat.” Ferda recalled the missing weapons and pressed him.
“We took the weapons because we needed a way to protect ourselves for the rest of the journey. After seeing such an attack, there was no guarantee we wouldn't be next.”
“So, you gathered the food because it would have rotted anyway, and you took the weapons for self-defense. Is that it?”
“That is correct.”
Ferda let out a mocking laugh. “Fine, let’s say those are your reasons. Then what about the gold coin you took?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you take it just in case we rejected you as refugees?”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play innocent. How do you think we tracked you all the way here?”
William looked genuinely bewildered. It was hard to tell if he was being incredibly brazen or if he truly knew nothing.
“Lord Ferda.” Isabella suddenly interjected. “The one who took the gold coin was not William.”
“Then who was it?”
Isabella pointed toward the group of refugees bowing their heads. Though her finger didn't point to a specific individual, one man among them was trembling so violently that his guilt was obvious.
“William. Bring that rat over here.”
“Yes, my lord.”
William pulled the man Ferda indicated to his feet. As the man’s head lifted, his face came into view. He was drenched in a cold sweat, the very picture of a thief caught in the act.
William barked at him, “Turn out your pockets.”
“…”
“Hurry up and show them!”
With trembling hands, the man turned his pockets inside out. Clink—. A single gold coin tumbled out.
Ferda picked up the coin. It was undoubtedly the currency used in the region. “Isn't this quite a large sum for a refugee to be carrying?”
William grabbed the man by the collar, his face twisted with a sense of betrayal. “Evans! I specifically told you not to touch the valuables! Didn't I say that meddling with the treasures of the dead brings misfortune?!”
“I-I’m sorry. But opportunities like this are rare, and who knows when we’ll see another? I thought just one gold coin would be okay…”
“You fool! Do you have any idea what your actions have caused—!”
“Enough.” Ferda cut off their bickering. “Stop the farce and get on your knees.”
William and the man knelt again. The man named Evans shook with fear, while William began to plead, listing the things they had done.
“Regent, I beg of you. Please, look past this mistake born of ignorance.”
“And why should I do that?”
“Though we did not bury them for fear of interfering with the investigation, we gathered all the bodies and performed funeral rites for them. Furthermore, knowing the carriage was headed for the territory of Count Consilus, I went there myself to report the incident. If you take me there, the officials will recognize me.”
“So, because you reported it and performed funerals, I should overlook what you’ve done?”
“Please forgive the transgressions of these foolish people and give them a chance. They have the gods in their hearts.” William appealed with a voice full of conviction.
However, the gaze Ferda leveled at him remained utterly cold.
“The moment you touched the treasures of a merchant belonging to the Archduchess’s territory, I stopped seeing you as mere refugees. You are vermin trying to sneak into our lands, and you deserve no mercy. How can I be sure you didn't participate in the murders?”
“…”
“Even if you claim you cleaned up to honor the dead, the fact remains that you stole money from a merchant’s pocket. Claiming hunger is just an excuse. If you become desperate again, you will steal again and again. Am I wrong?”
It was a question William couldn't bring himself to answer. In the uncomfortable silence, Ferda spoke again.
“However, there is one way.”
A glimmer of hope appeared in William’s eyes as he looked up. “What is it?”
“The one who committed the crime must receive the appropriate punishment.” Ferda threw a sword he had been carrying in front of Evans. “Wash away your sin with your blood.”
“W-What do you mean…?”
“Was I too poetic? Let me put it simply.” Ferda made a slicing motion across his throat with his index finger. “It means kill yourself.”
The color drained from Evans’s face.
“If you die, the rest live. Isn't that a fair trade?”
“I… I…”
“Regent!” William cut in. “He is a foolish man, but he is kind at heart. He only took a risk for the sake of his companions in this harsh winter. Please, show mercy.”
“I will not. End this quickly.”
Despite Ferda’s firm stance, William remained persistent. “I am the representative of these refugees. Could you not take one of my arms instead and let your anger subside?”
“An arm?” Ferda’s expression soured. “You speak nonsense.”
“If that is not enough, then something else…”
“Didn't I tell you? You are all vermin. If a young rat raids the granary, do you think I’d be satisfied with just the arm of the mother rat?” His eyes were filled with pure disdain. “Mother, child, leader, or subordinate—a rat is just a rat. A life for a life. If you wish to take Evans’s place, it will cost nothing less than your own life.”
A life.
William stole a glance at Evans’s face. The man was shivering, paralyzed by terror. He didn't want to die. It was a natural human instinct. William closed his eyes and thought for a brief moment.
“I understand.”
William accepted the terms and pulled the sword lying before Evans toward himself. At that, the refugees who had been bowing their heads began to protest.
“W-What?!”
“You can't do that!”
“After everything you did to bring us here…!”
Snap—!
A sharp crack of mana from Ferda’s hand silenced the commotion.
“There will be no second chances. If you want to die in his place, keep talking. As I said, a rat is a rat.”
No one dared to open their mouth again. Everyone knew their own life was more precious than another’s. When several minutes passed without a word, Ferda spoke mockingly.
“This man stepped forward for you, yet none of you have the courage to step forward for him.”
Ferda pushed the sword aside. Instead, he placed his hand on William’s head.
“I shall personally ensure your end is painless. Any last words?”
Facing death, William spoke in a trembling voice. “If you see these people safely into the Archduchess’s territory, I will have nothing more to say.”
“I have heard you.”
Mana condensed in Ferda’s hand. A shock of magical energy struck William’s head.
Thump!
With a heavy sound, William’s body collapsed limply.
* * *
William was not originally an ordinary peasant. Nor was he someone who ever needed to lead a group of refugees.
He had been a knight cadet, a man who stood out even among his peers. He understood honor and never neglected the duties of those in power. He was skilled in martial arts and had even earned military honors during the war against King Hudret. No one doubted that he would become a knight.
However, his path had not been smooth.
It happened shortly before his knighting ceremony, when only one trial remained between him and his goal. On that day, the war with King Hudret was brought to an end at the Grand Council.
The fate of the vanquished is always miserable. This was especially true for the people of Duke Yurei’s territory.
The defeated Duke Yurei was saddled with a reparation of 60,000 Golden. For a noble in peaceful times, it might have been a manageable sum, but for a Duke who had already exhausted his coffers for the war, 60,000 Golden was an astronomical amount. And it was already too late to borrow from others.
Ultimately, to pay the debt, he began to squeeze the surrounding villages dry. Because of this, the number of refugees abandoning their homes increased.
Duke Yurei was not about to let that happen. Population was national power. He tracked down the refugees, captured them all to be sold into slavery, and executed some of them brutally as an example.
A tyranny under the guise of unity had begun.
William was forced to participate in these missions. His final trial to transition from cadet to knight was to lead the slave-tracking unit.
William led his soldiers and eventually succeeded in tracking down the refugees. When he first took the mission, he was full of righteous indignation. Refugees were a blight. He couldn't forgive citizens who fled instead of helping when the territory was in turmoil. To him, they were agitators, a force of evil, and criminals who deserved punishment.
However, what he found before him was a reality far more complex than his ideals. No, it wasn't even complex. He had simply spent his life building up honor and reading books while failing to see what was right in front of him.
The people supposedly trying to destabilize the Dukedom were haggard and weak. They were nothing but skin and bones, and even the infants, who should have been plump, were barely gasping for breath, too weak to even cry. Their only "weapons" were fire pokers and shovels.
They were all desperately resisting an armed military. The reason was simple: they wanted to live.
In that moment, William questioned what it was he was supposed to uphold.
The people serve the lord. The King exists for the sake of the people. What remains of a King who does not care for his people?
It was a simple question, but William agonized over it during that terrible mission. One last time. If he just turned a blind eye and played the part of a loyal soldier one last time, his life would be set.
In the end, he made his choice.
The sword that should have been pointed at the refugees turned toward the soldiers following him. William wounded his own men to make it look like they had been ambushed and sent the refugees away. Afterward, William slaughtered the horse he had ridden and fed the refugees with its meat.
He could never become a knight, but William did not regret it. He never doubted that this was the reason he had picked up a sword in the first place, and so he did not consider even this death to be in vain.
* * *
“Gah!”
William bolted upright like someone waking from a terrible nightmare. He was certain he had died, so he never expected to open his eyes again. He fumbled over his body, muttering, “Is… is this the afterlife?”
“It’s the world of the living.”
“Whoa!” William jumped again. The voice that had mocked and despised him was right beside him. He turned his head to see Ferda.
“You were unconscious for an hour.”
The look in Ferda’s eyes was no longer the one William had seen before. He wondered if he really had been transported to another world.
“Am I… am I not dead?”
“Of course not. What hit your head was just a common stun spell.”
“Why… why didn't you kill me?”
“It would be a waste to kill a well-trained knight.”
William’s eyes widened. Ferda looked at him with a dry expression. “Did you think you hid it well? It was so obvious it was almost tragic.”
“I see…” In a way, it wasn't surprising. He had been wearing half-plate armor and carrying a sword, after all. “But I am no knight. At best, I’m just a lowly knight cadet.”
“Even for a cadet, blending in with refugees is no ordinary feat.”
“That is true.”
“Then you betrayed your master.”
At those words, William gave a bitter smile. “I have committed a crime worthy of death. For a knight to betray his lord…” It was clear treason, and William didn't deny it.
“It doesn't matter. Didn't you say you were just a lowly cadet?”
“Well, yes…”
“Since you were never formally knighted, there was no betrayal to speak of. You’re just a common deserter.” Ferda, coming from a family of knights, knew the technicalities well. “I have something to ask a man who has returned from the dead.”
“Please, speak.”
“Was it worth it?” Ferda turned his head. There, the refugees were all happily sharing stew. “You sacrificed yourself for them, yet not one of them was willing to sacrifice themselves for you. Even so, was it worth dying for them?”
William remembered what Ferda was talking about. When faced with death, Ferda had told anyone willing to die in his place to speak up. But no one had broken the silence. It was the kind of thing that could easily breed resentment.
“No one wants to die.” Despite that, William smiled. “That is exactly why I lead them.”
He had betrayed his lord, but he had not betrayed his convictions.
“I see.” Ferda watched him with a look of satisfaction before turning away. Beside him sat a man on his knees. It was Evans, the man who had stolen the gold coin.
“Your name was Evans, right?”
“Wh-What? Yes! Yes, that’s right!” The kneeling man nodded vigorously.
“This man took the burden of your foolish actions upon himself. Do you understand what that means?”
“I… I am in his debt.”
“You owe him your life, nothing less. Therefore, from this day forward, you shall be William’s loyal servant. If he dies, I will show you what a truly miserable life looks like. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes! I understand! I will carve those words into my heart!”
Having said his piece, Ferda stood up. “Then, I shall see you later. Sir William.”
“Yes, safe travels, my lord.”
As Ferda walked away, a single word lingered in William’s ears.
“Sir…?”
Sir. A title reserved only for knights. But William was a man who had failed to become a knight. Was Ferda simply mistaken? Or did it mean he truly recognized him as a knight? For the current William, it was a question that remained an enigma.
* * *
The investigation into the carriage ambush seemed to be yielding no results. Just as Ferda was about to return to the castle with Ruri, Isabella called out to him.
“Regent. There are people here who might serve as witnesses. I think you should hear what they have to say.”
Her tone suggested they were quite important. Standing beside her were a woman and a child. Ferda asked the woman, “Do you have something to tell me?”
“Forgive me, my lord, but it’s not me… my child knows something…”
The person he had to speak with was a snot-nosed six-year-old.
“What is your name?”
“I’m Ian.”
“Sweetie, you have to say ‘my name is Ian.’ I’m so sorry, Regent. The boy hasn't learned his manners yet…”
“I don't care for trivial titles. Ian, do you have something to tell me?”
The boy nodded. “It was when the Grim Reaper man and the knight man were talking to each other.”
“The Grim Reaper man?”
The woman answered in his stead. “He says he saw someone wearing a deep black robe.”
“I see. Continue, boy.”
“Yes. So, that Grim Reaper man rode away on a horse, and I saw him drop something. I didn't think anyone else saw it, so I hid it to give to my mommy.”
“What did he drop?”
“Th-This is it.” The woman reached into her clothes and pulled out an object to show Ferda.
It was a scarf. The green fabric looked ordinary at first glance, but Ferda’s expression changed the moment he saw the emblem embroidered in the corner.
This is…
Ferda narrowed his eyes. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, this unique scale-shaped design was the crest of the Pascal family.
And the version with two swords in the background is…
There was no mistake. It belonged to the Pascal Mercenary Agency.